skorpion317

iTrader: (8)

This noise just started today on my way to work. It's a metallic squealing/rattling noise. It sounds like metal-on-metal, but it rattles at the same time. Bumps in the road trigger it. It decreases in frequency if I slow down. It goes away at a complete stop, but sometimes it will go away while still driving. The car does not seem to be affected at all - it accelerates, brakes, and handles fine. There is no vibration while the sound is occurring. I looked under the car to see if anything was noticeably loose, but I didn't see anything. The sound is driving me nuts. Anyone have any ideas?

LeftySS

iTrader: (17)

You might check and see if the metal clip that your brake pads set in, in the rear brake caliper, is touching the rotor. If the pad is worn and this clip is not center just right it can touch the caliper and give you a sound like you describe. Just unbolt the caliper and center the clip a little better and it should stop. Just a thought.

skorpion317

iTrader: (8)

You might be on to something. The rattling sound might not be rattling at all - the previous owner put cross-drilled and slotted rotors on the car (I just bought it a month ago). That clip might be making contact with the solid part of the rotor, but when it gets to a slot, it misses, making the "rattling" noise.

A new problem has popped up, however - if I'm coasting to a stop, it sometimes makes this lound clunk or banging noise. The car did not do this before the squealing noise began. The clunk/bang has happened twice now, the first time was nothing major, but the second time scared the crap out of me. Again, the car does not feel like its driving any differently.

skorpion317

iTrader: (8)

I think the parking brake may have something to do with this as well. When I was leaving work last night, I tried to back up out of the parking spot and it felt like the parking brake was still engaged slightly, even though I had put the lever all the way down. I drove home, and it seemed to loosen up while driving. The sound went away about halfway to my home. When I got home, the parking brake engages normally, but the E-brake light does not come on in the instrument cluster.

skorpion317

iTrader: (8)

I finally solved the problem. I took the driver's side rear wheel off, and spun the rotor by hand. It made the metal-on-metal noise, and it was coming from somewhere near the bottom of the caliper. I unbolted the caliper from the spindle and checked it out, but nothing seemed out of place there. I took off the rotor, and a chewed-up bolt was sticking out near where the parking brake shoe is. I don't how it got there, and it doesn't look like anything's missing from the parking brake assembly. I took it out, reassembled everything, and took the car for a drive. No more noise And the parking brake light works again.

nascarnut08

Wow! Don't like finding mysterious bolts where they shouldn't be. That bolt had to come from somewhere. I would verify nothing is missing.

skorpion317

iTrader: (8)

I don't like it either. I was afraid it came off of something in the parking brake assembly, but I didn't see anywhere it could possibly go. A mystery for sure, but the noise is now gone. The car drives normally, and the parking brake feels normal as well.